Helpful vs. Non-helpful Trail Magic
What kinds of trail magic were timely and helpful?
Are there kinds of "trail magic" that were not that helpful?
Last edited by wren again; 03-14-2013 at 18:20.
Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
All trail magic comes from the heart of the person or persons who provide it. How can anyone criticize anyone who goes out of their way to do something nice for a stranger. One is always free to simply pass it by and keep hiking. As for me every piece of magic I've ever encountered was like a gift dropping out of the sky.
It's all good!
It depends on how it's presented to the Hiker's, but in most part it's all good.
If you were to ask this question say a year ago, I would have answered, It's all good, all the time. But, I been enlightened on this topic since I've been on WB. I agree that most trail magic comes from a good place. But some "trail angels" can also have ulterior motives that's not so good.
Offering trail magic at a certain place or time can put undo stress on the hiker and trail angel. Sometimes, it's hard to keep on a certain schedule while hiking.
If trail angels discriminate who they give trail magic 2, that ends up being hurtful not helpful.
I feel like anything can be considered "trail magic", sometimes in ways you least expect.
Like everything, related to human interactions, there's always good and bad things that can happen. I like to think about all the good things that happen. I believe that's the case most of the time.
I have never thru hiked..But i have walked from monson to the NY border..I have never receved any trail magic in any way and thats OK....What I do find is empty coolers..Beer cans..Water bottles..Sub wapers and so on..
IF your going to chew gum bring enough for every body.
Almost all trail magic is helpful and I was truly thankful for almost every one I experienced, to the point of being confused by the generosity people were displaying. But there was one exception:
In 2011, I was cruising through the Roller Coaster when I got to Snickers Gap. I hadn't been planning on stopping, but I saw trail magic and thought it couldn't hurt. However, a single bite-size Snickers bar, self-appreciatively offered by someone who should probably have known better, was not my idea of magic at the time. Doing that to a thru-hiker is like holding your fist out to a hungry dog, calling him over with "Treat, treat!" and then opening your empty hand and letting him sniff it disappointedly. Good joke, huh? I passed it up and kept walking.
"Hahk your own hahk." - Ron Haven
"The world is a book, of which those who do not travel read only a page." - St. Augustine
http://www.scrubhiker.com/
On my PCT thru hike I had fresh snow coming into Sonora Pass inthe Sierra. The road over the pass was closed all day and had recently reopened when I hit the road. But there was no traffic. It was uber cold, windy and my feet were in bad shape from snow packing into my trail runners and my toes bent from micro spikes. After 20 minutes a car appeared. I gave the most pathetic look possible, it was easy. The car pulled over, he gave me a beer and took me down to Kennedy Meadows North. That was trail magic!
on the other extreme are the massive hiker feeds every few miles in GA in the spring. I find those mildly obnoxious because they are so frequent and in your face. If I never run across another one of those I won't shed a tear.
I forgot the picture
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What's up with the one regular looking toe?Originally Posted by Malto:1439732
If you want to chew gum, bring your own, don't expect anyone to share (same goes for food, fuel, dry clothes and money).
Trail Magic is a gift, which you may graciously accept or decline, and be sure to say thank you in either case. It's still magic even if you didn't get there in time to enjoy it. I've run into the empty coolers, and it's a bummer to miss out, but it's great when you get to the cooler first!
real trail magic is rare. the giver has no idea the trail exists. it's unplanned
the rest are just planned feeds. nothin' magical there
I've personally never done a planned feed. If I ever do one, I would be in contact with a group of hikers that I knew would show up, plus include everyone or anyone that showed up with them. Planned feeds are a gift from the giver. Not really much different from inviting someone over to your house for a planned dinner... it's still a gift.
The word "trail magic" is just a word. Nothing is ever truly "magical".... what's magical about someone showing kindness to another human being?
Just like Capt. Nat shared in his story... right when he needed a ride, a trail angel was there, at the road. (magical?) The trail angel was purposely leaving some "trail magic" for hikers he would NEVER see or meet. The hikers that found & enjoyed what he left for them- was it "magical"?
There's no difference in the giving- planned or unplanned.
I'm with LW. "Real" trail magic is the things, however small that are unplanned and unrehearsed. Several that stand out: meeting some trout fishermen leaving their truck (somewhere in NC, I forget)....said "coolers in the back, take whatever you want"....after telling them about the AT, which they had never heard of. Or, hitchhiking 70 miles in PA because our shuttle skipped out....and never having to wait more than 5 minutes for a total of 4 rides. About as soon as one dropped me off, someone else drove up and asked where I was trying to get to (park ranger headed home, family out for Sunday drive, a couple of guys doing trail maint at road crossings). Then there was the thanksgiving day we were passing thru Damascus, and stayed at the Place (late 80's). 10 or so year old girl comes across the street from one of the houses back of there, family sent her to invite over to join them for thanksgiving dinner.
The mass feeds? Walk on by. It's just food.
Attention to anyone who hasn't hiked the trail before, lest you think that these are commonly held viewpoints. They are not. 99% of hikers will stop, eat, and be exceedingly thankful when free, fresh food is offered by strangers, especially if it's in large quantities. These two men are old curmudgeons who can't accept the trail for what it has become and prefer to hate on anything that isn't representative of their unrealistic values of self-sufficiency.
You will be out on the trail one day in the future, you'll be hungry like always, and you will come upon someone cooking hot dogs and serving fresh fruit and cold drinks. Your reaction will be, approximately, "This is awesome and it's the best thing that's happened to me all day." You'll chat with strangers you would have never met otherwise, and relax with your new trail friends for an hour or two. And then later you'll remember that there are grouches on the internet who actually frown on this sort of thing. You, like me right now, will wonder what in God's creation they were on about.
"Hahk your own hahk." - Ron Haven
"The world is a book, of which those who do not travel read only a page." - St. Augustine
http://www.scrubhiker.com/
Ummmm....but I do actually get out on the trail, and I do actually walk right on by the mass feeds. And I am old. And I am a curmudgeon. As far as accepting the trail for what it has become....damn, I gotta go have a beer with LW.
how dare strangers plan to prepare food for people they don't know
+1 to that. One person says not enugh food one says to much. what a joke. be thankfull and partake or not
your funny
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